The Power of Halloween

Among the many movie genres that fans appreciate, it is undeniable that horror has a strong group of dedicated enthusiasts. We like to be scared from time to time, and from the whole cult of all things spooky naturally grew increasing celebrations of Halloween and the like. It’s little wonder, too, as the holiday and horror motion pictures tend to go well together. You could even say that it is a match made in heaven. Well, maybe not quite.

In one form or another, Halloween has its representation around the world. It goes by many names, such as the Día de los Muertos in Mexico, Day of Dracula in Romania, The Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong, or All Saints’ Day as acclaimed in most of the Christian countries. Historically, the reason for all that was to somehow tame death. The emphasis on human mortality made people realize there is no escape from the bitter end but also helped them accept dying as the natural process and part of their existence.

Nowadays, it still serves a similar purpose. However, it does it so well that we often seek a little bit more of that dreadfulness in our lives. The death itself does not seem that terrible anymore. Instead, it requires something special to make us frightened. And we like the exciting thrill of being frightened. Halloween represents the promise of fulfilling all those needs. There is no shortage of people who acknowledge it as their favorite holiday and perhaps the best season of the year. As a result, it is also an excellent opportunity to go and see a horror movie, which brings us to our next point.

So, when the next installment of the already famous series about a horrible murderous doll, Cult of Chucky, released right before Halloween (October 20th), slasher lovers will know they are in for the treat. Some other Chucky films premiered in theatres in October and November as well, but it’s not quite the same as making in so close to October 31st. By doing so, it is similar to other festivals and calls for celebrations, especially around the Christmas period, which can significantly influence the box office and encourage a bigger turnout at the theaters. That’s nothing new and to something to expect given that the winter holidays are a part of many cultures around the world. People also tend to have more time off from work and are more inclined to fill the gap with entertainment, especially if it’s their favorite genre.